Hayfever

In the early summer, just when the grass is in flower, a number of people become affect with violent irritation of the nasal mucous membrane, accompanied with more or less constitutional; disturbance, as prostration and fever, with catarrh, oppression of the breathing. This condition lasts throughout the summer whenever the individual comes in contact with effluvia of hay.

The symptoms are caused by particles of the pollen of the hay which find their way into the nasal cavities. Hay is not the only offender, as the pollen of many flowers is capable of setting up the same train of symptoms,-violent and almost incessant sneezing, streaming eyes and nostrils, chilliness and feverish symptoms, headache, and often great d depression, general weakness, and wasting.

How is it, it may be asked, seeing that the pollen is everywhere inhaled by everybody, that all are not affected alike? The reply, that not all persons are sensitive alike, brings us to the further query, Why are some sensitive and others not? Here – we arrive at the crux of the whole matter:

It is a constitutional weakness of some kind of other, and in numberless cases I have traced it to that great parent of woes-GOUT. I have known many persons, members of highly gouty families, who have prided themselves on being the only ones the time they have escaped gout, when all the time the have had it in their noses without recognizing it. For my part, I consider it less objectionable in the toe.

Gout, in my experience, constitutes a large section of the great psoric family of disorders as classified by Hahnemann. But in many subjects of hay fever, it is sycosis, the second of the diseases-miasms described by Hahnemann, which is at the root of the disorder.

Though only manifest in the summer, the disease actually exists through the winter, only awaiting the peculiar stimulus to make it manifest. Careful observation of a patient in the intervals of the attacks will disclose the nature of the constitutional tendency.

It is astonishing to what shifts those who have the means to adopt them are driven to escapee their summer enemy. In flight to the high Alps some find safety; but the safest place of all is on on board ship. But homoeopathic treatment can, in a large number of cases, save the necessity of yearly banishment; and even when it cannot altogether prevent the recurrence of attacks, it can so far mitigate their severity as to tender life just tolerable in spite of them.

A few years ago, in the early summer, I was consulted by a gentleman, aged 40, who had been subject to hay fever from May till August every year as long as he could remember. He had had very severe treatment for it, including operations on the bones of his nose and cauterising the mucous membrane with electric cauterising the mucous membrane with electric cauteries. Still the attacks were no better. In a very short time antipsoric treatment put an end to all the symptoms. He passed through the summer with out any trouble, and he has hardly had any to speak of since. Naphthalin 3x (one drop or six pilules every two hours) has proved itself a very useful remedy in a large number of cases.

Sabadilla 3 (every two or four hours), violent sneezing with lachrymation, redness and swelling of eyelids, contractions, stupefying headache.

Arsenicum 3, with thirst, fever restlessness and anguish; aggravation from cold air. This may be given every two hours during an attack, and twice a day beforehand as a prophylactic.

Psorinum 30 will cure a large number of cases when there is very great sensitiveness to cold. Patients like to be near a fire or wrapped in furs even in summer weather. It may be given three or four times a day.